Winding mechanism for music box

ABSTRACT

A music box movement driven by a coil spring is provided with a mechanism for winding the power spring about its arbor without the use of a winding key or an elongated pull cord. The winding mechanism includes a ratchet gear secured to the arbor of the spring for rotation therewith, a lever rotatably mounted at one end on the arbor for oscillating movement in first and second directions, and a pawl member pivotally mounted on the lever adjacent the ratchet gear and having a free end which is adapted to engage the teeth on the ratchet gear upon rotation or movement of the lever in a first direction, thereby to rotate the ratchet gear and arbor in a direction to wind the spring within its housing. In one embodiment the winding mechanism is constructed to permit music to be produced by the music box at all times during the winding.

[ June 28, 1974 1 WINDING MECHANISM FOR MUSIC BOX [75] Inventor: Harry Fishbein, New York, N.Y.

[73] Assignee: Swisstone Corporation,

New York, NY.

22 Filed: Jan. 29, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 327,829

[52] US. Cl 84/94, 58/48, 74/576, 74/577 S, 185/39 [51] Int. Cl. G101 1/06 [58] Field Of Search 58/46, 48; 84/94-101; 185/39, 43; 74/576, 577 S, 142

[56] Y References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 169,574 11/1875 Parr 74/576 538,468 4/1895 Sehaub 84/97 1,057,918 4/1913 Bernhardt 58/46 R 1,769,587 7/1930 Luense 58/46 R 1,876,753 /1932 Renge 84/95 2,176,278 10/1939 Shaker 58/46 R 2,519,782 8/1950 Mueller et al. 84/95 2,716,444 8/1955 Smith 84/95 C X 3,390,599 7/1968 Komatsu 84/96 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 473,183 3/1929 Germany 84/95 Primary ExaminerLawrence R. Franklin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Lewis H. Eslinger, Esq.; Alvin Sinderbrand, Esq.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A music box movement driven by a coil spring is provided with a mechanism for winding the power spring about its arbor without the use of a winding key or an elongated pull cord. The winding mechanism includes a ratchet gear secured to the arbor of the spring for rotation therewith, a lever rotatably mounted at one end on the arbor foroscillating movement in first and second directions, and a pawl member pivotally mounted on the lever adjacentthe ratchet gear and having a free end which is adapted to engage the teeth on the ratchet gear upon rotation or movement of the lever in a first direction, thereby to rotate the ratchet gear and arbor in a direction to wind the spring within its housing. In one embodiment the winding mechanism is constructed to permit music to be produced by the music box at all times during the winding.

18 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PAYNE-M13128 I974 SHEU 1 BF 3 WINDING MECHANISM FOR MUSIC BOX The present invention relates to music box movements and in particular to winding mechanisms for music box movements which are readily operated by a child.

Music box movements are old and well known devices for use in creating musical notes and sounds for reproduction of simple musical pieces. These instruments are often used by children in various types of toys which they play. Most such music boxes are driven by a power spring which must be wound from time to time. A number of various types of winding mechanisms for music boxes have been previously proposed. These winding mechanisms generally must be durable and as simple as possible, particularly where the mechanism is to be incorporated in a toy to be used by a child.

The most common type of winding mechanism for a spring operated music box is one in which a winding key is utilized to engage the arbor or shaft to which the spring is secured in order to rotate the shaft and thus wind the spring. These keys are generally difficult for small children to use and turn and therefore are not generally satisfactory. Moreover, with infant children, it is often possible for the child to swallow such a key.

Other types of winding mechanism include the use of elongated cords or pull strings which are wound about the spring arbor or shaft to rotate the shaft when pulled. Such winding mechanisms however are no longer practical in the United States because of the fact that the Federal Food and Drug Administration has issued regulations which limit the length of strings that can be utilized on pull toys to 4 inches. With string lengths of that dimension it is not possible to fully wind the springs which are generally used in music box instruments.

Another method of operating music box instruments is through the use of an intermittent drive mechanism which, for example, incorporates pawl members that act directly against the peg cylinder of the music box instrument to rotate the cylinder. Typically, these pawl mechanisms are controlled or operated by a push member which can be manually reciprocated by a child or which can, for example, be used on the base of a rocking chair and operated by the rocking motion of the child seated in the chair. Such mechanisms are unsatisfactory however in that they cause an irregular or inter- 'mittent rotation of the peg cylinder so that the music produced by such music box movements is also irregular or intermittent, thus making the melody unpleasant or unrecognizable.

Music box movements and winding mechanism of the present invention are intended to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art devices discussed above. In particular, the music box movements and winding mechanisms disclosed in the present application are adapted to wind the coil spring which supplies the power for the movement with the use of an operator operable pull means which has a relatively short length and cooperates with an oscillating lever.

Preferably, the winding mechanism used in the present invention includes a ratchet gear rigidly secured to the arbor of the coil spring in the power mechanism of the music box. An oscillating lever is pivotally mounted on the arbor adjacent the ratchet gear and has a pawl member pivotally mounted thereon. The pawl has one end which is adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet gears so that upon rotation of the lever the pawl engages the teeth on the ratchet gear and rotates the same to wind the spring on the arbor. Upon return of the lever in the opposite direction the pawl becomes disengaged from the ratchet gear to permit return of the lever to its original position.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention the winding mechanism is constructed so that power is continuously supplied to the peg cylinder of the music box movement even during winding so that the melody produced by the music box is not interrupted at any time during its use. This is particularly important, for example, in applications wherein the music box is to be attached to the rocker of a rocking chair and thus wound by the rocking movement thereof.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a safe and relatively simply constructed winding mechanism for a music box.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a winding mechanism for a music box movement which will permit the music box to continue producing music during winding.

A further object of the present invention is to provide I a music box movement and winding mechanism therefor which is relatively simple in construction and durable in operation.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a music box movement adapted to be utilized in conjunction with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the music box illustrated in FIG. 1, showing one embodiment of a winding mech-' anism constructed in accordance with the present invention just prior to winding movement;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view, similar to FIG. 2, showing the configuration of the components of the winding mechanism at the completion of a winding stroke;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial view of the lever and pawl structure of the winding mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view, similar to FIG. 1, of a music box movement adapted to be used in another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of one embodiment of a winding mechanism adapted to be utilized with the music box movement of FIGS. 6 and 7 and showing the configuration of the winding mechanism just prior to winding movement thereof;

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view similar to FIG. 8 showing the configuration of the components of the winding mechanism of FIG. 8 at the end of a winding stroke;

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view, similar to FIG. 8, of another winding mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention and adapted to be used with the music box movements of FIGS. 6 and 7, and showing the configuration of the components thereof prior to the winding stroke;

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view, similar to FIG. 10, showing the configuration of the components of the winding mechanism at the completion of the winding stroke; and

FIG. 12 is an elevational view taken in the direction of the arrow XII in FIG. 10.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, it will be seen that a music box movement adapted to be used in conjunction with the present invention includes a base 12 on which is mounted a conventional key or toneboard 14. The latter has a plurality of fingers 16, each of different length, which are adapted to produce musical notes upon vibration by a conventional peg cylinder 18. The latter is mounted on base 12 in any convenient manner, as for example in bushing 20, for rotation transversely of the keyboard 14. Cylinder 18 has a series of pegs or protuberances 22 extending outwardly from the surface thereof in a predetermined pattern so that upon rotation of the cylinder in a predetermined direction, fingers 16 of keyboard 14 will be struck in a predetermined sequence so as to produce a simple musical melody.

Cylinder 18 is selectively driven through a spring power drive mechanism 24 which includes a housing 26 rigidly secured to, or integrally formed with, base 12. Preferably base 12 and housing 26 are formed of cast metal or the like so as to be relatively hard and rigid. An arbor or shaft 28 is rotatably mounted in housing 26 (which is partially broken away in FIG. 1 for clarity) and base 12. Shaft 28 extends through the bottom of base 12, for reasons more fully described hereinafter.

A coil spring 30, formed of spring steel or the like, has one end 32 secured to arbor 28 in any convenient manner and is wound about the arbor through a plurality of turns with its opposite free end 34 secured to housing 26. As seen in FIG. 1, in one embodimentof the invention, the end 34 of spring 30 has an aperture therein which receives and is frictionally engaged with a peg 36 on housing 26 in the conventional manner.

A bevel gear 38 is rigidly secured to shaft 28, coaxially thereof, so that the gear rotates with the shaft. Bevel gear 38 is in meshing engagement with a second bevel gear 40, of smaller diameter, which is rigidly secured to the shaft 42 of peg cylinder 18. (It is noted that the end 43 of shaft 42 opposite bushing 20, is rotatably mounted in housing 26). Thus, upon rotation of arbor 28, gears 38 and 40 and thus peg cylinder 18 are rotated.

The music box mechanism 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing also includes a regulator mechanism 44 of conventional construction. That mechanism includes a first spur gear 46 rigidly secured to, or integrally formed with, gear 40 for rotation therewith and connected through a gear train 48, illustrated in FIG. 1, to a rotatably mounted paddle or flywheel 50, which is driven through gear train 48 and worm gear 52, in order to regulate the speed of rotation of the peg cylinder 18.

The present invention resides primarily in the mechanism for winding spring 30. In accordance therewith, the winding mechanism 55, as seen in FIG. 2 of the drawing, includes a ratchet gear 56 rigidly secured to arbor 28 on the opposite side of base 12 from spring 30. This ratchet gear includes a plurality of angularly formed teeth 58 which assist in the rotation of the gear and the winding of spring 30.

A lever 60 is pivotally mounted on arbor 28 immediately below ratchet gear 56 and is held on the shaft in any convenient manner, as for example by a washer or screw 62. Lever 60 is biased into a first position, shown in FIG. 2, by a spring 64 which is operatively engaged between a stop 66 (preferably a screw) mounted on the lower side of base 12, wound about arbor 28, and engaged at its free end 68 against a stop or abutment member 70 formed integrally with lever 60. A pawl 72 is pivotally mounted at 74 adjacent the free end 76 of lever 60 between the lever and base 12. This pawl is formed in the shape of a bell crank and has one end 78 which is adapted to be engaged between the teeth 58 of ratchet gear 56. The bell crank or pawl 72 (see FIG. 4) includes a guide pin 80 which extends through an aperture 82 formed in the free end 76 of lever 60. Aperture 82 is elongated, i.e., it has a somewhat larger diameter than pin 80, so as to permit pawl 72 to pivot slightly about its pivotal mounting 74. The pawl is biased into a first position, seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, by a spring 84 which acts between pin 80, abutment 68, and across and abutment 86, as seen in FIG. 2. In this position of the pawl, the end 78 thereof is held out of en gagement with ratchet teeth 58. Accordingly ratchet gear 58 is free to rotate with arbor 28 during unwinding of the coil spring 30, i.e., during operation of the music box movement.

In order to wind the music box movement, guide pin 80 is provided with an operator operable pull means or member 88 which includes a metal tab 90 or the like pivotally mounted on guide pin 80 and secured in any convenient manner to a pull cord 92. With this construction of the invention, when it is desired to wind spring 30 on arbor 28, the pull cord 92 is manually engaged and pulled in the direction of arrow P. This movement of the cord 92 initially causes pin 80 to move in slot 82, thereby pivoting pawl 72 on its pivot axis 74 to engage the end 78 of the pawl with the teeth 58 of ratchet gear 56. Continued pulling upon cord 92 causes lever 60 to pivot about arbor 28, thus causing rotation of ratchet gear 56 because of its engagement with pawl 78. This rotation of gear 56 of course causes rotation of the rigidly connected shaft 28 and thus causes spring 30 to be wound in housing 26. Ultimately, after a pull of approximately 45, to the position shown in FIG. 3, the spring 64 provides sufficient resistance to further movement of the lever 60 to make further pulling upon cord 92 in the direction P impractical. Accordingly, the operator releases the pull force on cord 92 and lever 60 automatically returns to its position illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing, which position is defined and limited by stop 71. The operator then again pulls upon cord 92 to renew the sequence of operation of movements of the various components discussed above thereby to continue winding spring 30 until sufficient tension is produced therein.

After the winding operation, spring 30 unwinds and, because gear 56 is free of pawl 72 (as seen in FIG. 2), causes shaft 28 and gear 56 to rotate in a direction opposite to the winding direction. This rotation of shaft 28 causes the rotation of gears 38 and 40 and thus rotation of cylinder 18 in the desired direction to produce the desired musical melody.

By this construction of the invention spring 30 is conveniently wound by the use of relatively short string in conjunction with the relatively simple pulling motion. It is easier for a child operating a music box or other musical toy to perform this pulling motion to wind the toy than it is for him to operate a conventional key winding construction. Moreover, because the pull cord can be relatively short, the regulations of the FDA are complied with and the toy is safe for use by the child.

Although the above-described embodiment of the present invention is highly satisfactory in use and provides an efficient and economical winding mechanism for a musical instrument, it is noted that, during the winding operation, the peg cylinder 18 is only moved in the direction for producing the musical melody when lever 60 moves in its return stroke from the position illustrated in FIG. 3 to the position illustrated in FIG. 2. During the winding stroke (i.e., from the position illustrated in FIG. 2 to the position illustrated in FIG. 3) the cylinder 18 is held against rotation because of the worm gear 52 in regulator 44. This worm gear prevents rotation of the gear train 48 in the direction opposite to that which, in the conventional manner, will produce the musical melody. Accordingly, during the winding stroke, the musical melody is interrupted. This problem is overcome by the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 6 12 of the drawing. In the embodiments shown therein the peg cylinder 18 is continuously driven in the desired direction for producing an uninterrupted musical melody, even during the winding operation.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 6 of the drawing, it is seen that the music box movement 100 shown therein is similar in construction to the music box movement shown in FIG. 1. That is, music box movement 100 includes a base 112 and a tone or keyboard 114 having fingers 116 of various lengths formed thereon. A peg cylinder 118 of conventional construction is rotatably mounted on bushing 120 and has a plurality of protuberances or pegs 122 extending radially outwardly from the surfacethereof.

Music box movement 100 is also provided with a spring arbor or shaft 128 which is rotatably mounted in base 112, as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 7. As in the previously described embodiment, a spring 130 is secured at one end 132 to arbor 128 and is wound thereabout. The opposite end 134 of spring 130 however is secured to a housing 126 of somewhat different construction than the housing 26 shown in FIG. 1. More specifically, housing 126 is a generally cylindrical member which is rotatably mounted on arbor 128 and is independent of base 112. More particularly, housing 126 is rigidly secured in any convenient manner to a bevel gear 138 which also is rotatably mounted on arbor 128, so that the housing is adapted to rotate with the gear 138 and with respect to shaft 128.

Shaft 128, and thus housing 126, are rotatably mounted on the base 112 with the cooperation of an inverted generally U-shaped frame member 115 which is formed integrally with base 112 and extends over housing 126.

Bevel gear 138 is positioned in meshing engagement with bevel gear 140 for rotating cylinder 118 to produce the desired musical melody. In addition, music box movement 100 is provided with a regulator mechanism 144 which operates in the conventional manner and which includes a spur gear 146, formed integrally with or rigidly secured to gear 140, and connected through a drive train 148 to the regulator or paddle 150.

In order to wind spring 130 on arbor 128, the winding mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawing is utilized. As shown therein, a ratchet gear 156, similar in construction to ratchet gear 56 described above, is rigidly mounted on shaft 128 in any convenient manner for rotation therewith. A lever 160 is pivotally mounted on arbor 128'adjacent ratchet gear 156 (all of the now described structure is on the side of base 112 opposite housing 126) and is biased into a first position, seen in FIG. 8 of the drawings, by a spring 164 engaged between a stop 166 formed on base 112, bent about the arbor 128 and engaged at its opposite end 168 against an abutment 170 formed on the lever. Movement of lever 160 in the clockwise direction under the influence of spring 164 is limited by stop 171 formed on base 112.

A pawl 172 is rotatably mounted at pivot point 174 on the free end 176 of lever 160. Pawl 172 is in the shape of a bell crank and has a free end 178 which is adapted to be engaged in the ratchet teeth 158 of the ratchet gear. In addition, pawl 172 includes a guide pin 180, which is similar to the guide pin of pawl 72 described above, that extends through an enlarged aperture 182 in lever 160. The enlarged aperture permits limited pivotal movement of the pawl about pivot point 174.

In order to rotate ratchet gear 156 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 8, i.e., in the desired direction for winding spring on arbor 128, a pull string 192 is operatively connected in any convenient manner to the end 193 of pawl 172. By pulling string 192 in the direction of the arrow P, pawl 172 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, about pivot point 174, so as to engage the end 178 of the pawl in the ratchet teeth 158. Continued pulling of string 192 causes level to rotate in a counterclockwise direction and thereby rotate ratchet gear 156. This movement of gear 156 causes rotation of shaft 128 in housing 126 and thus winds spring 130 on the shaft. Of course, since housing 126 is rotatably mounted on shaft 128 and also connected thereto by spring 130, the housing will be rotated by the coil spring 130 even during winding, however, because of the friction in the gear drive to cylinder 118 and also because ofregulator 144, the housing rotates at a substantially slower speed than shaft 128 during the winding operation. Thus spring 130 can be fully wound on its arbor.

When the lever 160 reaches the position illustrated in FIG. 9 of the drawing, the practical range of movement of lever 160 is completed and pull string 192 is released so that lever 160 returns to the position illustrated in FIG. 8 of the drawing. During this movement of the lever in a generally clockwise direction, pawl 172 is free to pivot in a clockwise direction so as to disengage its end 178 from ratchet teeth 158. Of course the aperture 182 in lever 160 permits this clockwise movement.

During return movement of lever 160 from the position shown in FIG. 9 of the drawings to the position shown in FIG. 8, arbor 128 would be free to rotate about its axis in a direction opposite to the winding direction under the influence of the wound spring 130, thereby permitting unwinding of the spring, unless it was held in a fixed position during that interval of time. Accordingly, the present invention includes the use of a second pawl member 195 which is pivotally mounted at 196 on base 112. The top member 166, which engages the spring 164, is formed integrally with pawl 195 so that that pawl is normally biased by spring 164 in rotation in a counterclockwise direction,.with its end 197 engaged with ratchet teeth 158. Accordingly, as lever 160 rotates in a clockwise direction to return to the po sition thereof shown in FIG. 8, rotation of ratchet gear 156 and thus of shaft 128 in the clockwise or unwinding direction is prevented by pawl 195. Since the shaft 128 cannot rotate during this portion of the operation of the device, the entire force of the wound spring 130 is exerted upon the housing 126, which is still free to rotate. Accordingly, that housing rotates and causes rotation of the'integrally secured bevel gear 138. Rotation of that gear, as described above, causes rotation of peg cylinder 118 in the desired direction to produce the musical melody. As mentioned, during the winding of spring 130, upon movement of lever 160 in the desired direction, the shaft 128 and housing 126 are both rotated in the desired direction and thus produce rotation of peg cylinder 118 in the direction to produce the musical melody.

Accordingly, it is seen that the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 6-9 of the drawing provides a winding mechanism which is adapted to conveniently wind a coil spring for a music box movement by the use of a straight pull device having a relatively short pull string. Moreover, the operating mechanism permits the continuous and uninterrupted production of a musical melody by the music box during the winding operation.

Another embodiment of the present invention, which is of similar construction to that shown in FIGS. 69, is illustrated in FIGS. -12. FIG. 10 is similar to FIG. 8 in that it is a bottom view of a winding mechanism 200 which is adapted to be used in connection with a music box movement such as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings. In this embodiment of the invention the winding mechanism includes the same ratchet gear 156 and spring arbor 128 as are used in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Spring arbor 128 is secured to a spring 130 contained within a rotatable housing 126 such as that shown in FIG. 6.

Winding'mechanis'm 200 includes a first lever 202 which is pivotally mounted on arbor 128 and has a pawl 204 pivotally mounted thereon at pivot point 206. Paw] member 204 is in the shape of a bell crank and has a free end 208 which is adapted to be engaged within the teeth 158 of gear 156. The opposite end of pawl 204 includes a guide pin 210 integrally secured thereto and extending through an elongated aperture 212 in lever 202. That aperture serves to limit the amount of pivotal movement permitted pawl 204, in the manner described above with respect to pawls 72 and 172.

Lever 202 is biased into its first position, illustrated in FIG. 10 of the drawing, by a spring 214 which is engaged with an abutment member 216 formed on lever 202. Spring 214 is bent about arbor 128 and is secured to an additional stop member 218, described more fully hereinafter. Movement of lever 202 in a clockwise direction under the influence of spring 214 is limited by a stop member 220 formed integrally with base 112.

Lever 202 is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction to cause rotation of ratchet gear 156 in a similar direction to wind the spring 130 of the music box movement. This pivotal movement is effected by a manually operable push button device 222 which includes a link 224 pivotally connected at one end 226 to guide member 210 of pawl 204. The opposite end 228 of link 224 is secured in any convenient manner to the end 230 of a push rod 232. The latter is slidably mounted on base 112 through a pair of slide blocks 234. Push rod 232 is biased into its first or extended position, illustrated in FIG. 10 of the drawing, by a coil spring 236 which cooperates between one of the slide blocks 234 and a stop member 238 formed on the rod itself.

The push rod 232 can have a push button 240 or the like formed on the free end 242 thereof so that it can be readily engaged by the operator. Accordingly, it is seen that upon movement of push rod 232 in the direction of arrow P in the drawing link 224 will be moved downwardly, causing rotation of lever 202 in a counterclockwise direction. Initial movement of link 224 causes pin 210 to move in the elongated aperture 212 of lever 202 thus causing pawl 204 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction to engage its end 208 in the teeth 158 of ratchet wheel 156. Continued movement of link 224 causes rotation of lever 202 and thus rotation of ratchet gear 156, thereby to wind the spring on arbor 128.

In order to prevent rotation of arbor 128 in the clockwise direction under the influence of spring 130, during the return of lever 202 from its furthest point of movement, illustrated in FIG. 11, to its original position, illustrated in FIG. 10, a second lever 244 is provided which is pivotally mounted on arbor 128. This lever includes a second pawl member 246 pivotally mounted thereon at 248. Paw] 246 is also a bell crank type member having a free end 250 which is adapted to engage the teeth 158 of ratchet gear 156 to prevent rotation thereof in a clockwise direction. The opposite end 252 of bell crank pawl 246 includes a guide pin 254 which extends through an elongated slot 256 in the free end 258 of lever 244. This slot also permits limited pivotal movement of pawl 242.

Pin 254 has an enlarged head which prevents pawl 246 from falling out of lever 244 and which head forms the abutment member 218 for the spring 214. In this manner, spring 214 serves to bias pawl 246 in a counterclockwise direction about pivot 248 so as to urge the end 250 thereof into engagement with the ratchet teeth 158. However, upon movement of the ratchet gear in a counterclockwise direction under the influence of lever 202 and pawl 204, the end 250 of pawl 246 can pivot out of engagement with teeth 258, i.e., ride over the teeth, because of its pivotal mounting on lever 244 and the slot arrangement 256 formed therein. It is noted that lever 244 is captured between a pair of stops 261 formed on base 112 so that it is held against rotation even though subject to the bias of spring 214.

Accordingly, it is seen that a relatively simple winding mechanism for a music box movement is provided which permits the music box movement to continue producing a musical melody even during the winding operation. The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 of the drawings is preferably used with rocking chairs or the like, being secured to the rocket portion thereof, with the button 204 positioned to repetitively engage the floor on each rocking motion. Thus, as the child sits in the rocker and rocks, the music box plays and is continuously wound by the rocking motion; however the rocking and winding motion does not interrupt or interfere with the continuity of the musical melody. Moreover, as spring 130 is being continuously wound by the winding motion, once the child gets up from the rocking motion the melody will continue for a substantial period of time.

Of course, the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11 is not limited to use in rocking chairs but can be used in any type of musical instrument. The push type winding operation provided by this embodiment of the invention is relatively simple and easy to manually operate, even for very small or young children.

Accordingly, it is seen that a relatively inexpensive and simple music box mechanism and winding device therefore have beenprovided which are safe in operation, durable in construction and simple for even infant children to operate.

Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A music box movement comprising, in combination, a base, a keyboard mounted on said base, a cylinder rotatably mounted on said base transversely of said keyboard and having a plurality of protuberances thereon located in a predetermined array for engaging said keyboard and cooperating therewith to produce musical notes; a spring housing rigidly connected to said base adjacent said cylinder, a spring arbor rotatably mounted in said housing and a coil spring wound in said housing and having its opposite end secured to said arbor; first gear means operatively connected to said arbor for rotation therewith and operatively connected to said cylinder for rotating the latter upon rotation of said first gear, thereby to produce said musical notes, and means for winding said coil spring on said arbor comprising a toothed ratchet gear secured to said arbor for rotation therewith, a lever rotatably mounted at one end on said arbor for oscillating movement in first and second directions and pawl means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said first lever, adjacent said ratchet gear, and having a free end adapted to engage the teeth on said ratchet gear upon rotation of said first lever in a first direction, thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and arbor in said first direction to wind said coil spring on said arbor; first spring means biasing said first lever in said second direction; second spring means biasing said pawl out of engagement with the teeth on said ratchet gear, said first lever having an elongated aperture therein adjacent the pivotal mounting of said pawl and said pawl having a guide pin mounted thereon at the end of said pawl opposite said free end and extending through said aperture, whereby said aperture limits pivotal movement of said pawl; and operator operable pull means pivotally mounted on said guide pin for pivoting said first lever about said arbor in said first direction, said guide pin and aperture being located in predetermined positions with respect to the pivotal mounting of said pawl, whereby movement of said lever in said first direction by said pull means causes said pawl to pivot into engagement with said ratchet gear, against the bias of said second spring means thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and wind said' coil spring on said arbor.

2. A music box movement comprising, in combination, a base, a keyboard mounted on said base, a cylinder rotatably mounted on said base transversely of said keyboard and having a plurality of protuberances thereon located in a predetermined array for engaging said keyboard and cooperating therewith to produce musical notes; and means for rotating said cylinder including a spring arbor rotatably mounted on said base, a spring housing freely rotatably mounted on said arbor and drivingly connected to said cylinder for rotating the latter upon rotation of said housing, a coil spring wound on said arbor within said housing and having opposite ends connected respectively to said arbor and said housing, and means for winding said coil spring on said arbor including a toothed ratchet gear secured to said arbor for rotation therewith, a first lever rotatably mounted at one end on said arbor for oscillating movement in first and second directions and first pawl means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said first lever adjacent said ratchet gear and having a free end adapted to engage the teeth on said ratchet gear upon rotation of said first lever in a first direction, and second pawl means operatively engaged with said ratchet gear for preventing rotation thereof in said second direction; said first lever having an elongated aperture formed therein adjacent the pivotal mounting of said pawl means, and said first pawl means having a guide pin mounted thereon extending through said aperture, whereby said aperture limits pivotal movement of said pawl; and operator operable pull means directly connected to the end of said first pawl means opposite said free end thereof for pivoting said pawl into engagement with the teeth on said ratchet gear and pivoting said first lever about said arbor in said first direction, thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and wind said coil spring on said arbor.

3. A music box movement as defined in claim 2 wherein said first spring means is operatively connected to said second pawl means to bias said one end thereof into engagement with said ratchet gear.

4. A music box as defined in claim 3 wherein said second pawl means is mounted on said base.

5. A music box as defined in claim 2 including a second lever pivotally mounted on said arbor, said second pawl means being pivotally mounted on said second lever.

6. A music box as defined in claim 5 wherein said second lever has an elongated aperture therein and said second pawl has a guide pin mounted thereon and extending through said aperture, said first spring means being operatively engaged with said last mentioned guide pin to bias said second pawl means into engagement with said ratchet gear.

7. A music box as defined in claim 6 including means on said base for preventing pivotal movement of said second lever.

8. A music box as defined in claim 7 wherein said operator operable pull means comprises a push rod slidably mounted on said base for movement between first and second positions thereon and being operatively connected to the guide pin on said first pawl means, and means biasing said rod in said first direction.

9. A music box as defined in claim 2 including a power output gear rigidly secured to said housing coaxial thereof for rotation therewith, and gear means operatively connecting said power output gear with said cylinder for rotating said cylinder upon rotation of said spring housing.

10. A spring drive mechanism including a housing, a coil spring connected at one end to said housing, an arbor for said spring mounted centrally within said housing and connected to the opposite end of said coil spring, and means for winding said coil spring on said arbor comprising, a toothed ratchet gear secured to said arbor for rotation therewith, a first lever rotatably mounted at one end on said arbor for oscillating movement in first and second directions, a first pawl means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said first lever adjacent said ratchet gear and having a free end adapted to engage, the teeth on said ratchet gear upon rotation of said first lever in a first direction, thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and arbor in a first direction to wind said spring in said housing; first spring means biasing said first lever in said second direction; said first lever having an elongated aperture formed therein adjacent the pivotal mounting of said pawl, said pawl having a guide pin mounted thereon at the end of said pawl opposite said free end and extending through said aperture, whereby said aperture limits pivotal movement of said pawl; second spring means biasing said pawl out of engagement with the teeth on said ratchet gear; and operator operable pull means pivotally mounted on said guide pin for pivoting said first lever about said arbor in said first direction, said guide pin and aperture being located in predetermined position with respect to the pivotal mounting of said pawl, whereby movement of said lever in said first direction by said pull means causes said pawl to pivot into engagement with said ratchet gear, against the bias of said second spring means, thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and wind said coil spring on said arbor.

11. A spring drive mechanism including a housing, a coil spring connected at one end to said housing, an arbor for said spring mounted centrally within said housing and connected to the opposite end of said coil spring, means for winding said coil spring on said arbor comprising, a toothed ratchet gear secured to said arbor for rotation therewith, a first lever rotatably mounted at one end on said arbor for oscillating movement in first and second directions, a first pawl means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said first lever adjacent said ratchet gear and having a free end adapted to engage teeth on said ratchet gear upon rotation of said first lever in said first direction, thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and arbor in said first direction to wind said spring in said housing, first spring means biasing said first lever in said second direction; said first lever having an elongated aperture formed therein adjacent the pivotal mounting of said pawl and said pawl having a guide pin mounted thereon extending through said aperture, whereby said aperture limits pivotal movement of said pawl; an operator operable pull means operatively connected to the end of said pawl opposite said free end thereof for initially pivoting said pawl into engagement with the teeth on said ratchet gear and pivoting said first lever about said arbor in said first direction, thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and wind said coil spring on said arbor.

12. A spring drive device as defined in claim 11 wherein said housing is rotatably mounted with respect to said arbor and said device includes second pawl means operatively engaged with said ratchet gear for preventing rotation thereof in said second direction.

13. A spring drive mechanism as defined in claim 12 including a second lever pivotally mounted on said arbor, said second pawl means being pivotally mounted on said second lever.

14. A spring drive mechanism as defined in claim 13 wherein said second lever has an elongated aperture therein and said second pawl has a guide pin mounted thereon extending through said aperture, said first spring means being operatively engaged with said last mentioned guide pin to bias said second pawl means into engagement with said ratchet gear.

15. A spring device as defined in claim 13 wherein said operator operable pull means is connected to said guide pin on said first pawl means and includes a reciprocally mounted actuator rod operatively connected to said guide pin and being spring biased into a first position, and stop means for limiting the reciprocation of said.rod.

16. A spring drive device as defined in claim 12 including a base, said arbor being rotatably mounted in said base and said second pawl means comprising a lever pivotally mounted on said base and having one end operatively engaged with said ratchet gear.

17. A spring drive device as defined in claim 16 wherein said first spring means is operatively connected to said secondpawl means to bias said one end thereof into engagement with said ratchet gear.

18. A spring drive device as defined in claim 17 including a power output gear rigidly secured to said housing, coaxially thereof, whereby said power output gear is rotated continuously by said spring during the winding thereof. 

1. A music box movement comprising, in combination, a base, a keyboard mounted on said base, a cylinder rotatably mounted on said base transversely of said keyboard and having a plurality of protuberances thereon located in a predetermined array for engaging said keyboard and cooperating therewith to produce musical notes; a spring housing rigidly connected to said base adjacent said cylinder, a spring arbor rotatably mounted in said housing and a coil spring wound in said housing and having its opposite end secured to said arbor; first gear means operatively connected to said arbor for rotation therewith and operatively connected to said cylinder for rotating the latter upon rotation of said first gear, thereby to produce said musical notes, and means for winding said coil spring on said arbor comprising a toothed ratchet gear secured to said arbor for rotation therewith, a lever rotatably mounted at one end on said arbor for oscillating movement in first and second directions and pawl means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said first lever, adjacent said ratchet gear, and having a free end adapted to engage the teeth on said ratchet gear upon rotation of said first lever in a first direction, thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and arbor in said first direction to wind said coil spring on said arbor; first spring means biasing said first lever in said second direction; second spring means biasing said pawl out of engagement with the teeth on said ratchet gear, said first lever having an elongated aperture therein adjacent the pivotal mounting of said pawl and said pawl having a guide pin mounted thereon at the end of said pawl opposite said free end and extending through said aperture, whereby said aperture limits pivotal movement of said pawl; and operator operable pull means pivotally mounted on said guide pin for pivoting said first lever about said arbor in said first direction, said guide pin and aperture being located in predeterMined positions with respect to the pivotal mounting of said pawl, whereby movement of said lever in said first direction by said pull means causes said pawl to pivot into engagement with said ratchet gear, against the bias of said second spring means thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and wind said coil spring on said arbor.
 2. A music box movement comprising, in combination, a base, a keyboard mounted on said base, a cylinder rotatably mounted on said base transversely of said keyboard and having a plurality of protuberances thereon located in a predetermined array for engaging said keyboard and cooperating therewith to produce musical notes; and means for rotating said cylinder including a spring arbor rotatably mounted on said base, a spring housing freely rotatably mounted on said arbor and drivingly connected to said cylinder for rotating the latter upon rotation of said housing, a coil spring wound on said arbor within said housing and having opposite ends connected respectively to said arbor and said housing, and means for winding said coil spring on said arbor including a toothed ratchet gear secured to said arbor for rotation therewith, a first lever rotatably mounted at one end on said arbor for oscillating movement in first and second directions and first pawl means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said first lever adjacent said ratchet gear and having a free end adapted to engage the teeth on said ratchet gear upon rotation of said first lever in a first direction, and second pawl means operatively engaged with said ratchet gear for preventing rotation thereof in said second direction; said first lever having an elongated aperture formed therein adjacent the pivotal mounting of said pawl means, and said first pawl means having a guide pin mounted thereon extending through said aperture, whereby said aperture limits pivotal movement of said pawl; and operator operable pull means directly connected to the end of said first pawl means opposite said free end thereof for pivoting said pawl into engagement with the teeth on said ratchet gear and pivoting said first lever about said arbor in said first direction, thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and wind said coil spring on said arbor.
 3. A music box movement as defined in claim 2 wherein said first spring means is operatively connected to said second pawl means to bias said one end thereof into engagement with said ratchet gear.
 4. A music box as defined in claim 3 wherein said second pawl means is mounted on said base.
 5. A music box as defined in claim 2 including a second lever pivotally mounted on said arbor, said second pawl means being pivotally mounted on said second lever.
 6. A music box as defined in claim 5 wherein said second lever has an elongated aperture therein and said second pawl has a guide pin mounted thereon and extending through said aperture, said first spring means being operatively engaged with said last mentioned guide pin to bias said second pawl means into engagement with said ratchet gear.
 7. A music box as defined in claim 6 including means on said base for preventing pivotal movement of said second lever.
 8. A music box as defined in claim 7 wherein said operator operable pull means comprises a push rod slidably mounted on said base for movement between first and second positions thereon and being operatively connected to the guide pin on said first pawl means, and means biasing said rod in said first direction.
 9. A music box as defined in claim 2 including a power output gear rigidly secured to said housing coaxial thereof for rotation therewith, and gear means operatively connecting said power output gear with said cylinder for rotating said cylinder upon rotation of said spring housing.
 10. A spring drive mechanism including a housing, a coil spring connected at one end to said housing, an arbor for said spring mounted centrally within said housing and connected to the opposite end of said coil spring, and means for winding said cOil spring on said arbor comprising, a toothed ratchet gear secured to said arbor for rotation therewith, a first lever rotatably mounted at one end on said arbor for oscillating movement in first and second directions, a first pawl means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said first lever adjacent said ratchet gear and having a free end adapted to engage the teeth on said ratchet gear upon rotation of said first lever in a first direction, thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and arbor in a first direction to wind said spring in said housing; first spring means biasing said first lever in said second direction; said first lever having an elongated aperture formed therein adjacent the pivotal mounting of said pawl, said pawl having a guide pin mounted thereon at the end of said pawl opposite said free end and extending through said aperture, whereby said aperture limits pivotal movement of said pawl; second spring means biasing said pawl out of engagement with the teeth on said ratchet gear; and operator operable pull means pivotally mounted on said guide pin for pivoting said first lever about said arbor in said first direction, said guide pin and aperture being located in predetermined position with respect to the pivotal mounting of said pawl, whereby movement of said lever in said first direction by said pull means causes said pawl to pivot into engagement with said ratchet gear, against the bias of said second spring means, thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and wind said coil spring on said arbor.
 11. A spring drive mechanism including a housing, a coil spring connected at one end to said housing, an arbor for said spring mounted centrally within said housing and connected to the opposite end of said coil spring, means for winding said coil spring on said arbor comprising, a toothed ratchet gear secured to said arbor for rotation therewith, a first lever rotatably mounted at one end on said arbor for oscillating movement in first and second directions, a first pawl means pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on said first lever adjacent said ratchet gear and having a free end adapted to engage teeth on said ratchet gear upon rotation of said first lever in said first direction, thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and arbor in said first direction to wind said spring in said housing, first spring means biasing said first lever in said second direction; said first lever having an elongated aperture formed therein adjacent the pivotal mounting of said pawl and said pawl having a guide pin mounted thereon extending through said aperture, whereby said aperture limits pivotal movement of said pawl; an operator operable pull means operatively connected to the end of said pawl opposite said free end thereof for initially pivoting said pawl into engagement with the teeth on said ratchet gear and pivoting said first lever about said arbor in said first direction, thereby to rotate said ratchet gear and wind said coil spring on said arbor.
 12. A spring drive device as defined in claim 11 wherein said housing is rotatably mounted with respect to said arbor and said device includes second pawl means operatively engaged with said ratchet gear for preventing rotation thereof in said second direction.
 13. A spring drive mechanism as defined in claim 12 including a second lever pivotally mounted on said arbor, said second pawl means being pivotally mounted on said second lever.
 14. A spring drive mechanism as defined in claim 13 wherein said second lever has an elongated aperture therein and said second pawl has a guide pin mounted thereon extending through said aperture, said first spring means being operatively engaged with said last mentioned guide pin to bias said second pawl means into engagement with said ratchet gear.
 15. A spring device as defined in claim 13 wherein said operator operable pull means is connected to said guide pin on said first pawl means and includes a reciprocally mounted actuator rod operatively connected to said guide pin and being spring biased into a first position, and stop means for limiting the reciprocation of said rod.
 16. A spring drive device as defined in claim 12 including a base, said arbor being rotatably mounted in said base and said second pawl means comprising a lever pivotally mounted on said base and having one end operatively engaged with said ratchet gear.
 17. A spring drive device as defined in claim 16 wherein said first spring means is operatively connected to said second pawl means to bias said one end thereof into engagement with said ratchet gear.
 18. A spring drive device as defined in claim 17 including a power output gear rigidly secured to said housing, coaxially thereof, whereby said power output gear is rotated continuously by said spring during the winding thereof. 